January 21, this week s issue

Transcription

1 welcome January 21, 2018 this week s issue Worship Church Life God s Word Men s Ministry Women s Ministry Student Ministry Kids Ministry Preschool Ministry Leadership Team

2 Connect Church If you are visiting with us for the first time, WELCOME! We are glad it was your choice to worship Christ with us today. We hope this time of praise and the study of God s Word will be an encouragement for you. please join us between services for refreshments and fellowship. I love this church because the people are so friendly! I love how everyone speaks to you and makes you feel right at home! It always puts a smile on my face and joy in my heart! You just can t help but have a right attitude for worship! I serve Jesus with you by serving on the Praise Team. I am honored to be a part of this Worship Team! Israel Tour 2018 If you ve ever desired to visit the Holy Land, this is the year to do so! Connect Church will host a trip to Israel October 31 - November 9, led by Pastor Dale and Alinda. All applications and deposits should be submitted to the church office by Thursday, February 1st. For additional information about this Promised Land adventure phone

3 Worship The wai JUNIOR is an extension of the Worship Arts Institute designed specifically for kids ages nine to twelve years old. This program is based on the Orff Schulwerk approach to teaching children music through singing, movement, rhythmic work, instrumental ensembles, improvisation, and music theory. Through the wai JUNIOR kids learn to express themselves musically in increasingly challenging, but still fun ways. Classes will be held on Thursdays from 5:30 6:45 PM beginning February 15th on the Royal Palm campus and will run for 12 WEEKS. The tuition for this 12-Week program is $160 + $20 registration fee. Scholarships and discounts are available for qualifying families. For additional information and registration, please visit cc.today (connect worship arts). Royal Palm campus Remember by Passion You Fight For Us by Travis Cottrell Counting On God by Desperation Band Almighty by Chris Tomlin Grace That Won t Let Go by Gateway Worship Standing On The Promises by Travis Cotrell Acreage campus Whom Shall I Fear by Chris Tomlin Open Up Our Eyes by Elevation Worship Big Enough by Will Lopes Good, Good Father by Chris Tomlin Victory by Celebration Worship

4 Make plans now to attend this conference which will both inspire and challenge us as parents, grandparents, or simply Church Life concerned adults who desire to influence children and youth for God. What will the next generation look like? That all depends upon how much we will invest in their future. Tithing Giving Back To God Jesus told a story in Matthew 25...In the parable, there was a steward who was given something to invest. But instead of investing it, he buried it to keep it safe. Explaining his behavior later, he shared that he had been afraid of investing it poorly and losing it: Master,...I knew that you are a hard man,...so I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground...the steward thought it would be better to play it safe and at least return the property in full when the owner returned. So he acted out of fear by disobeying the owner s instructions. He thought wrong. Suddenly a new fear gripped the steward s heart as he realized the full consequences of his actions. The new fear was of something far worse than the one he had entertained in the beginning when he decided to bury the talent. Throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, the master ranted to his guards, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:30. As it turned out, this steward failed to assess his fears, prioritizing his fears incorrectly; while he was afraid on the front end, his lack of wisdom caused even greater fear on the back end. He didn t solve his fear problem by acting on it. In fact, by doing nothing, he actually compounded his fear. What do you fear most? Not having enough or not having the involvement of your heavenly Father in the realm of your finances? From Fields of Gold For additional information about upcoming activities, programs, and events, please visit our website at CC.TODAY.

5 Church Life Operation Christmas Child 2018 Special Partners, thank you for filling 467 shoeboxes in 2017! Your generosity fills the leadership team with great joy. Statistically, one third of that number, which is 155, results in salvation for the child. If ten other family members receive Him also, that s 1,550 people touched by your efforts. How incredible! Are you ready for a fresh challenge? Plans already exist to fill 500+ boxes by means of a packing party held in early November. By collecting items each month through your Connection groups or the church body, this goal is easily reached. A different item or two is assigned for each month so watch the worship guide for details. In the meantime, we can collect for our personal boxes as well. Are you willing to help possibly send out a total of 1,000 shoeboxes in November 2018? A recent Samaritan s Purse letter shared about a small Texas church of 30 members. Despite being affected by last fall s devastating hurricane, this group filled over 8,000 boxes! Perhaps a goal of 1,000 is too small? Are you willing to touch countless lives through this simple mission project? With the Lord s help, let s do amazing work to bring Him glory! If you are a quilter or seamstress, please contact me about a simple tote bag for the November packing party. Beanie Babies are the perfect size; perhaps you know someone who would donate his or her collection. The Royal Stitchers plan to make 500 sock caps. Donated yarn helps that group complete their quota. Please contact us if you have questions, suggestions, or willing hands. We covet your prayers as we serve you in this capacity. January items are washcloths and full size bars of hand soap. Christmas buckets (red/green) will be located on the Royal Palm and Acreage campus for donations. His Servants, Gene and Tryna Groat (no text) atgroat619@hotmail.com

6 Mission Statement To glorify God by leading others to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Teaching Pastor Schedule January 21, 2018 Royal Palm campus 9:30 AM - Pastor Mike Eleveld 11:00 AM - Pastor Mike Eleveld Acreage campus 9:30 AM - Pastor Jim Sims 11:00 AM - Pastor Jim Sims January 28, 2018 Royal Palm campus 9:30 AM - Pastor Josh Sharpe 11:00 AM - Pastor Josh Sharpe Acreage campus 9:30 PM - Pastor Mike Eleveld 11:00 PM - Pastor Mike Eleveld Last Week s Attendance & Offering Royal Palm campus 679 Acreage campus 166 TOTAL 845 Offering $ 30, /20 Vision $ Royal Palm campus 6:00 PM $5.00 per person The meal for the week: Imperial rice with chicken fajitas 2018 is a great year to read the Bible with your child. Visit us in the Resource Center. We are happy to help you select an age appropriate version. Hours Royal Palm campus Sundays 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM Wednesdays 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM Photographs contributed by: Dennis Jordan & Gaby Altman

7 God s Word - Time With God Today s SOAP - Elder Mike Eleveld Scripture: For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. Psalms 139:13-14 Observation: One of the great questions of ethics and morality hinges on understanding this Passage and many others. When does human life begin? and Does the Bible give us insight into God s perspective on the origin of Human Life? God s Word is clear. Human life begins at conception and continues until that particular life ends. Here the Psalmist, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, states that he knows his personhood was clear to God while he was in his mother s womb. Jeremiah, the prophet, also expressed that he had been called to prophetic ministry while he was in his mother s womb (see Jeremiah 1:4-5). Application: If God s perspective is clearly that human life begins at conception, that personhood is established in the womb, then those that cherish God must cherish what He loves. Consequently, we must stand with Him to defend those persons whose lives are in the balance lives within the womb. We must be His voice to this culture and society. We cannot be silent. And we must speak truth seeking control of the Holy Spirit. Prayer: Help us, dear God, as your people to value the lives of the unborn.and to do all we can to defend those lives with our time, treasure and talent, and to cherish the souls of all. How Do I SOAP? Scripture - Read the passage of Scripture for the day and allow God to speak to you. Write down a verse which spoke to you. Observation - Write your observation as to what is happening in the text. What do you believe is the point of the passage? Application - Write down how the Scripture passage applies to your life today. Prayer - Ask God to help you use this Scripture for greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two-way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out. S.O.A.P. Scripture Observation Application Prayer Grab your Bible, a pen, and a notebook. Get ready to hear from God through His Word! This Week s SOAP M Acts 18:24-25 T Acts 18:26-28 W Acts 19:1-2 TH Acts 19:3-4 F Acts 19:5 S Acts 19:6-7 Incomplete Picture Main Passage for January 28 Acts 18:24-28; 19:1-7 CSB Memory Verse: Acts 18:28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

8 Value All Scripture 13 For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother s womb. 14 I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began. Psalms 139:13-16 CSB Main Point Christ values every person, so we should not exploit or disregard others. *Notes adapted from Explore the Bible, LifeWay Christian Resources. All Scripture passages from the Christian Standard Bible.

9 Notes Next Steps If you have not fully embraced the Lord s sovereign hand in your life, and the lives of your children, prayerfully press into Him through the loving grace of His Son Jesus Christ. Find a mature believer to pray with you. Additional Resources Explore the Bible, Psalms, Robert Smith, Jr., General Editor; Psalms, Bible Readings, F. B. Meyer; Layman s Bible Book Commentary, Psalms, Alton H. McEachern; A Commentary on The Holy Scriptures, Psalms, John Peter Lange.

10 God s Word - Devoted to Him DESIGNED FOR A SINGLE PURPOSE And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. Genesis 17: 9 We are surrounded throughout our lifetime by a multitude of things designed for specific purposes. Without argument, most things are at their best when they are fulfilling their purpose and design. For instance, a piano is made with a specific purpose: to produce music. However, I happen to know that someone once stood on a piano in order to put a fastener of some kind in the ceiling. I have seen piano tops that were cluttered filing cabinets or wide library shelves. There is an intelligent design in the creation of a piano. The manufacturer did not announce: This is a good piano. It has at least nineteen uses! No, the designer had only one thought in mind: This piano will have the purpose and potential of sounding forth beautiful music! Do not miss the application of truth here. God was saying to Abraham, You may have some other idea about the design and purpose for your life, but you are wrong! You were created in My image to worship Me and to glorify Me. If you do not honor this purpose, your life will degenerate into shallow, selfish, humanistic pursuits. From Tozer On The Almighty Jesus never sends a man ahead alone Genesis 1:31 Psalm 19:1 Romans 3:23 Romans 6:23A Romans 1:25 Proverbs 14:12 He has been everywhere that we are called to go The only safe way to travel is with Him alongside and in control. Springs in the Valley Download the Life Conversation Guide app to your phone. It is a great tool to have on hand as you share Christ with others. Philippians 2:13 Ephesians 2:10 John 3:16A Colossians 2:14 Mark 1:15B Ephesians 2:8-9 Romans 10:9

11 Men s Ministry MEN S STUDY GROUPS Men s Connection Group: Meets on Monday evenings at 7:30 PM on the Royal Palm campus. Contact Edgar Gregory for more information. (edgar.gregory@pw.utc.com) Registration Resource Center or Online $ SIGN UP NOW! Explore the Bible Series Wednesday 7:00 PM Worship Center One to One Discipling will help you grow stronger in your faith walk with Christ. If you would like a mentor, contact Marlon Francis at m4francis@gmail.com or Gene Groat at atgroat619@hotmail.com for more information. Jerry Radder Men s Ministry Director jerryradder@gmail.com Men, we have a great couple of days planned with great speakers who will lead us through challenging topics for men. We ALL need a "Recharge" from time to time and like Jesus, when he walked this earth as a man, He was faced with challenges. Jesus also needed time away from ministry and duty, as he often went aside alone to pray. We will soon announce our speaker line-up with some interesting titles! Sign up TODAY in the Resource Center on online at CC.Today! Do not wait! Men, Your skills are needed to help build Awana Grand Prix derby cars! The children in AWANA will begin prepping and building their derby car for the AWANA Grad Prix in April. This will take place over the next 3 months. If you would like to help a child by cutting and building their cars, this is the ministry for you! Bring your power tools, workbench, and some carpentry experience. It is greatly needed! (We will also need some portable work benches set up each time.) The workshop will be in the covered driveway on the Royal Palm campus. The dates are as follows: January 26th - 6:30-8:30 PM - Assistance needed to cut car designs (templates will be available to choose from) February 17th - 2:00-4:00 PM - Assistance with painting and instruction on wheels, axles, and weights. Cutting assistance may be available based on demand. Call the Church Office at to let them know if you can help and what tools you have that can be of assistance!

12 Women s Ministry Ladies, Ministry Your assistance is needed! Volunteer to serve the fair workers on Wednesday morning, January 24th at 9 AM for the birthday bash buffet. Bring a covered dish. Please contact Jamie Gregory at jamiefirstair@gmail.com or to register or for additional information. Rosa Madrigal Women s Ministry Director duviee@bellsouth.net

13 Student Ministry Sunday Mornings Royal Palm campus: Meets in the Activity Center at 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM. Acreage campus: Meets in the Choral and Drama Rooms at 9:30 AM. Sunday Nights Royal Palm & Acreage campuses: High School Students meet on the Royal Palm campus from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Unscrambling Life Unscramble this word: hatif Now try this one (it s a bit harder): mebnclasur (answers are below) Isn t it nice when everything fits in its proper place? There is a certain satisfaction that comes with detangling a mess of letters or with stabilizing an anxiety-burdened life. However, God does not promise that every element of our lives will fall neatly into its place. In fact, oftentimes our lives feel like a massive confusion of letters, fluttering between chaos and meaning. What should we do in these situations? Perhaps we need to stop trying to unscramble our messes for a moment. Perhaps we need to remember that just because we can t arrange the letters in our lives into a coherent word doesn t mean that God can t see meaning in our messes. This year, let s make a resolution to turn every mess over to God in prayer before trying to unscramble it ourselves. We can t change our problems, but we can change our responses. Answer 1: Answer 2: faith unscrambled Wednesday Nights All Middle and High School Students meet on the Royal Palm campus in the Activity Center from 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM. Sam Fowler Student Ministry Director sam@cc.today Rachael Fowler Student Ministry Coordinator rachael@cc.today

14 Kids Ministry Remember to learn the memory verse this week to earn a Disciple Dollar next Sunday! Memory Verse:Jude 1: But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. Kids, today we learned that we should continue learning about Jesus and the importance of growing in faith. Below is a flower. Flowers are plants that grow over time. On the petals of the flower write 5 things you can do that will help you grow in your faith. Kids, we learned today that we should continue learning about Jesus and the importance of growing in faith. Grow In Faith Parents, 1) Remember to help your child complete the Kid s S.O.A.P. handout this week. 2) Parents go to focusonthefamily.com and read the article 8 Small Resolutions That Can Change Your Family. Cindy Tidd Preschool Coordinator cindy@cc.today Rachael Fowler Kids Coordinator rachael@cc.today Stacy Gatlin Kids Coordinator sage@cc.today Wendi Bean Awana Coordinator wendi@cc.today Nadine Dillard Awana Coordinator nadine@cc.today

15 Preschool Ministry Circle each answer. Who baptized Jesus? The memory verse for this week is from Mark 1:11 Then a voice came from heaven, You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. In what form did the Holy Spirit come? John the Baptist Angel Was God pleased with His son, Jesus? Here s what s happening in Awana Preschool: The lessons for this Wednesday are as follows: 1 s: God made my ears Puggles: God loves me when I m outside Cubbies: Bear Hug 14 Preschool Also, it s awards night this Wednesday! Join us around 8:10 PM to watch your Cubbie earn their next award for completion of Unit 3! Kids Awana Mission Month continues! This week we will have a special visit from Jim Lambeth, the South Florida region Awana Missionary. Derby News... Our next derby worknight is this Friday January 26. Join us between 6:30 and 8:00 PM for assistance with cutting cars. Contact Wendi Bean for more information.

16 Leadership Team Dr. Dale R. Faircloth Elder and Lead Pastor Clayton Hutcheson Elder Fred Rogers Elder Mike Eleveld Elder Josh Sharpe Pastor of Ministries Tate Soles Pastor of Students Jimmy Maltese Pastor of Ministries Will Lopes Pastor of Worship Jim Sims Campus Pastor Duval Madrigal Pastor of Ministries Carey Julien Worship Leader Royal Palm campus Okeechobee Boulevard Royal Palm Beach, FL phone cc.today Acreage campus S B C 4601 Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd. Loxahatchee, FL phone cc.today